Where My Heart Is, That's Home
by GuardianDragon98
Summary: [SPOILERS FOR THE THIRD FILM] A collection of one-shots that center on my OC Zenna during the events of the third film, practice for when I finally decide to adapt the final film in the trilogy. EretXOC, Hiccstrid, ToothlessXOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay… so I just came back from watching How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.**

**And, Holy Shields, do I have a lot of emotions about it.**

**I know that, for sure, the biggest challenge for me when I make a full-blown adaptation of the third film is how I'm going to treat the relationship between Toothless and the Light Fury since, in my AU, Toothless already has a mate – Stryka, my dragon OC and the dragon of my human OC, Zenna Fiersome.**

**I've got some ideas forming. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a good dynamic between Toothless, Stryka, and the Light Fury soon… once I've watched the third film a couple more times (I shall wait for a DVD of the third film to be released if I don't get any chances to watch the film again in theaters) and have finished more of my stories with Loki in them.**

**In the meantime, this here's a collection of one-shots centered around my OC, Zenna, and takes place during the third film, during those in-between moments before some of the big scenes happen. I'm relying on my memory of the third film while it's still fresh from watching it so some of the dialogue may not be the same as in the film.**

**Enjoy!**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HERE EXCEPT FOR MY OCS!**

* * *

**I Thought I Lost You**

_**(Takes place when Grimmel's Deathgrippers set Hiccup's house on fire.)**_

Zenna coughed, smoke filling her lungs, as she scrambled to get out of her best friend's house as it went up in flames.

'_And I thought Drago Bludvist was bad enough. Now we've got this lunatic who's the reason why Stryka's the only female Night Fury in existence!'_ she managed to think before another one of Grimmel's Deathgrippers landed right in front of her. The dragon hissed and, like a flash, its scorpion-like tail lashed out at her!

She yelped and dove out of the way, but not far enough. The Deathgripper's stinger still managed to graze her right side. Almost immediately, Zenna felt her whole body go limp and she collapsed with a groan. She could feel the Deathgripper's venom polluting her bloodstream, numbing her entire body and lulling her into unconsciousness.

'_No… No! I refuse to die today! I'm not leaving Eret! I don't want to leave him… I can't leave him…' _she thought as she willed her body to move. But she couldn't. She was completely paralyzed. And it was getting really hard to breathe…

Through her blurred vision, Zenna could make out the Deathgripper looming before her, its tail raised to deliver another, more lethal, dose of its venom.

"ZENNA!"

Eret came jumping out of the flames, his dragon-scale armor covered in soot. With a roar, he lunged at the Deathgripper, grabbing onto one of its tusks and pulling it down like a rodeo cowboy. He rushed to Zenna's side and scooped her up into his arms then started running.

"Stay with me, love… Stay with me…" he whispered again and again.

The last thing Zenna remembered was Eret's wide and terrified amber eyes gazing into her own before she blacked out…

* * *

She woke up to Stryka licking her face. The one-eyed dragoness let out a happy roar and nuzzled Zenna, purring.

"Hey there, girl…" Groaning, Zenna sat up and felt her right side. Bandages covered the spot where the Deathgripper's stinger had grazed her. Flexing her fingers, she silently thanked the gods that the venom hadn't been potent enough to kill her.

'_If I'd gotten stung a second time, that would have been the end of me…'_ she thought before hearing footsteps.

"Loki?" Zenna breathed out upon seeing the God of Mischief.

"I sensed that you and Hiccup were in danger and had Heimdall open the Bifrost." Loki turned his head to the staircase. "She's awake," he announced.

Eret and Hiccup came running up the stairs followed by Zenna's parents, Edgar and Henna, and her little brother, Elias II Stoick Fiersome.

"Oh thank gods…" Eret breathed out, heading over to Zenna's bedside and embracing her.

"My precious little gemstone…" Edgar murmured, going to Zenna as well and gently stroking his daughter's head.

"Zennwa!" little Elias II, El as he was affectionately called, bawled as Henna carried him to his big sister. Upon being placed in Zenna's arms, he started crying in earnest.

"It's okay, El… I'm okay… Your big sis is okay…" murmured Zenna, kissing El's soft black curls.

"How are you feeling, Zen?" Hiccup asked softly, his green eyes filled with worry.

Looking at her family and friends' anxious faces, Zenna could tell that something was wrong.

"Sore… and furious. That Grimmel doesn't know what he just started," she growled and made a move to get up.

"Zen, wait." Eret gently pushed her back down on the bed. "Save your strength," he said gently.

"Eret, I'm fine. I just got grazed. The wound's not too serious," said Zenna, showing him her bandaged side.

"But the Deathgripper's venom was," Hiccup murmured. He clenched his fists. "Their venom can sedate humans and dragons, and they can control its potency. Grimmel, he… he wanted his dragons to kill tonight," he muttered, his face stormy.

"He's right." Loki walked over to Zenna's bedside and crouched down so he was at the Dragon Doctor's eye level. "The venom of the Deathgripper dragon… it was a lot more potent than Gothi originally thought…" The god's eyes became pained. "You stopped breathing for a while, Zen. I used my magic to get the venom out of your system. If I hadn't gone to Heimdall and had him open the Bifrost the moment I felt that something was wrong, you would have…" he trailed off, and looked away, shutting his eyes tightly.

Zenna felt El whimper in her arms and glanced at her parents only to see the same expressions of relief and fear on their faces. She felt Eret tighten his grip on her and looked up to see him fighting back tears.

She almost couldn't believe it. Apart from the mild sting from her wound, she felt completely fine! And yet…

'_I almost died…' _she thought, her insides turned to lead.

"Well… I'm alive. That's all that matters, right?" she asked quietly, earning relieved chuckles and nods from everyone.

"You get some rest now, sweetheart," Henna said softly as she tried to take El, but the little boy refused.

"Nuh-uh! Wanna stay wid Zennwa and pwotect her!" El protested, wiping his snot-stained nose.

"Don't worry, El. I've got Stryka and Eret here to protect me. I'll be back on my feet in no time," Zenna reassured him, gently kissing his forehead.

"Okay…" El let Henna lift him up off his sister's lap. "Don't cwy now, Uncka Eret. Zennwa's okay. You gots to protect her now," he told Eret, who gave him a watery smile.

"That I will, El, that I will," Eret promised, rubbing his eyes.

Hiccup, Stryka, and Loki were the last to leave. Stryka gave her rider one last nuzzle before going downstairs to let Toothless know that Zenna was alright.

"Grimmel…" Loki's eyes turned blood-red. "Oh, I already have a couple of plans on how to kill him," he seethed, ice forming around his feet.

"We can talk about that later, Loki." Hiccup pushed the angry god forward before he could freeze the room. "Right now, I need some help in making sure those who were also attacked are alright," he said before turning to Zenna and Eret. "I'll gather everybody in the Great Hall in a couple of hours for a meeting. Zen, if you're up for it, you and Eret can attend."

"We'll be there, Hicc," Zenna replied, giving her brother in all but blood a smile and a thumbs-up.

Once her two brothers were gone, Zenna felt Eret shaking. "Eret…?" she said softly.

Eret couldn't stop the sob that tore out of his mouth as he hugged Zenna tightly. "I thought I lost you…" he whimpered, burying his face in Zenna's dark hair.

"But you didn't," said Zenna as she gently cupped Eret's face in her hands. "I'm alive, Eret." She smiled at him.

Eret shook his head. "You don't understand. After we got out, you were already so pale. Then all of a sudden, you let out this rattling gasp and… and you stopped breathing.

"I was terrified, Zen. I was screaming myself hoarse, trying to wake you up, until Hiccup had me get on Toothless with him to take you to Gothi's. She tried every cure, every brew that she knew of, but you still wouldn't take a breath.

"Then Loki burst in, his eyes wild with panic. Once he saw you, he started chanting some spell. I saw this dark purple mist come out of your mouth before you started breathing again. But all the while I-I thought…"

Shutting his eyes, Eret pressed his forehead against Zenna's. "I don't want to lose you, love. My heart won't be able to bear it… _I _won't be able to bear it. First Mum, then Da… _I can't lose you too_," he whispered brokenly, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Oh, Eret…" Zenna gently nuzzled him, wiping his tears away. "It's alright, love. You won't lose me. I promised, remember?" she murmured, gently clasping Eret's hands.

She felt for the smooth gold band around the third finger on Eret's left hand.

"I will love and cherish you all the days of my life. You're mine and I'm yours. I will always have your back no matter what. Your happiness is my happiness. Your sorrow is my sorrow, and I will weather any storm with you until it passes. And if Death tries to take me away from you before it's my time, I'll fight him until I get sent back to the world of the living… because I want to be with you for as long as I can," Zenna couldn't help but cry a little herself, as she repeated her marriage vows. "You are the love of my life… and I love you forever."

Eret let out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob and leaned into Zenna. "Only you would be mad enough to fight Death…" he said hoarsely before looking into her one violet eye.

"I promise to love you and cherish you all the days of my life. I am yours and you are mine. I will protect you with all my heart and all my strength. Whenever you are happy, I will also be happy. Whenever you are sad, I will do my best to comfort you until you feel better. Not even Death will keep me from you, because I want to have as much time as I can to be with you. You are my goddess, my princess… No, my _queen_… and my everything… And I love you forever," he replied, feeling the same kind of love and devotion he had felt when he said those vows for the first time just one month ago… when he and Zenna finally tied the knot.

And that love and devotion he felt for Zenna, the same love and devotion she felt for him, had never waned. If anything, it had gotten much stronger.

Zenna laughed softly then gently pressed her lips against her husband's in a sweet, loving, kiss. They stayed like that, lost in the feel of each other's lips, for about a minute before separating.

"We're going to make Grimmel pay." Eret's amber eyes blazed with determination, resting his hand on top of Zenna's. "He'll rue the day he tried to separate us."

"We will." Resting her hand on top of her husband's, Zenna looked at her own wedding ring, a gold band identical to Eret's.

"And we'll do it, _together_."

* * *

**Yeah… so this is like a "What if?" AU, where Grimmel's first attack on Berk ended with one of the major characters getting injured. In my case, it's Zenna.**

**And, yes, she and Eret are already married by the time of the third film. For a whole month, actually!**

**Read and review! More one-shots coming soon!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another one-shot for my collection. This centers on The Three Weirdos – Hiccup, Zenna, and, surprise, surprise, LOKI!**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD!**

* * *

**One Last Stop**

_**After the Quest for the Hidden World is announced…**_

It was an unspoken agreement between the three of them that they would go there one last time, to the place where their whole lives changed, where it all began.

The cove.

"I'm going to miss this place," said Zenna as she laid down on the grass, her eye trained on the clouds.

"I've sent word to Alvin, Dagur, Heather, Mala, Throk, Atali, and Minden. They know where we're all going, and they wish you Berkians good luck. As for the dragons… they're getting ready to say goodbye," Loki informed Hiccup as they joined Zenna in lying down on the grass.

"Maybe they don't have to. Compared to Berk, the dragon populations on Outcast Island, Berserker Island, Defenders of the Wing Island, and Wingmaiden Island are more manageable. _We_, on the other hand, really need to leave," Hiccup sighed, remembering Windshear and Sleuther. Heather and Dagur… they'd be heartbroken if their dragons left them.

"Times are changing, Hiccup." Loki turned his head to the young chief. "Berk's already gained a reputation. It won't be long until people like Grimmel target it and all the other islands in the Archipelago for the dragons. Your allies have all agreed to let their dragons go with the Alphas…" he said then looked up at the sky. "They'll join the flock once it sets out."

The three of them then lapsed into silence, content to just lie in the grass and watch the clouds.

"We haven't been here in a while. Did you guys realize that?" Zenna piped up after about ten minutes of silence.

"Yeah… I've been busy with chief duties. You're busy with being a doctor. And, well, Loki's been off realm-hopping with Thor on some secret mission," Hiccup mused.

"I'm _investigating_, Hiccup. And Thor can manage without me for a while. I'm staying with you lot until you find another island to settle on," Loki chuckled, lightly smacking the one-legged Viking on the arm. "But… you're right. We haven't been here in a long time."

Sitting up and looking around, Hiccup, Zenna, and Loki noticed that a lot of things had changed in the cove. The trees had grown denser, shading most of the area with only faint rays of sunlight streaming through the branches in small pools.

The wind whistled through the trees, bringing back so many memories for the trio.

The cove was their haven. This was where they went to get away when they felt like outcasts, where they played music together and, ultimately, where they bonded with their dragons. To leave the cove and never come back… it was a bittersweet moment for all three of them.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" asked Hiccup, smiling.

"Mhm. Six years ago, we were just a couple of kids and a fallen god just trying to survive in a world of dragon-killers," remarked Zenna.

"And, now, here we are: a chief of the world's first human and dragon utopia, one of the best doctors this side of the non-modern world, and me," Loki said then grinned.

"Not bad for three weirdos, am I right?"

Hiccup and Zenna both laughed and nodded.

* * *

**The one thing I definitely missed, and wished that the animators would bring back in both the second and third films, was the cove. I mean, this location was pivotal to how Hiccup and Toothless changed the world because this was where they bonded, where they forged their friendship. I had hoped that the cove would be featured in the third film, before they all left Berk, but they didn't. And I'm admittedly kind of sad about that.**

**So… I came up with this. And I added Loki into the mix because, by this time, he's already regained his powers and is back with his Asgardian family. How did that happen? You will have to wait until after my adaptation of Race to the Edge.**

**In the meantime, read and review!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for taking the time to read, review, follow, and favorite this latest addition to my HTTYD fanfics. Here's a response to all the reviews I got so far!**

**Aniu16, **very interesting idea. I'd imagine Stryka being curious to see the Light Fury. I think she might even be attracted to her, since she hasn't seen another of her kind in who knows how long. I'll take your suggestion into consideration.

**crocodilesmile55, **sorry. But I don't really plan to reboot Frozen Fire. It's not even canon anymore. I'm thinking of deleting it…

**FoxyKhai0209, **your request will be the next chapter. I hope to do Lani justice.

**In the meantime, enjoy this sweet Zeret moment.**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD!**

* * *

**Nothing Like Him**

_**After the Berkians arrive on "New Berk"**_

"Funny little man, that guy…" Eret remarked as he walked away from Snotlout, the Jorgenson still going on about being demoted to "Number 2."

"Yup, Snotlout's a riot. Don't mind him, Eret. He's just annoyed that he has to stand on a barrel just so he can look you in the eye," Zenna told him, getting one of the logs from Eret and balancing it on her right shoulder.

Gobber overheard them as they passed by him and laughed. "Ah, lad's just jealous. It's not your fault you've got the body of a Norse god," he told Eret, making the former trapper blush. Gobber tipped his helmet to Zenna. "Gotta say, Zen. You sure know how to pick 'em!" he chuckled.

Zenna giggled, a light blush on her cheeks, as she glanced at Eret whose face had gone bright red. "He's complimenting you, love," she said, affectionately bumping her hip against her husband's. Eret glanced back at Gobber and offered the man a shy smile as thanks, making Gobber chuckle and wave back.

Then Gobber hollered something that made the couple stop.

"No doubt, you two are gonna have handsome lads and bonnie lasses!"

"Oh boy…" Zenna sighed, shaking her head as she saw other Vikings nod in agreement. Some even passed coins between one another, placing bets on their offspring's gender.

Glancing at Eret, Zenna saw that his lips had been pressed into a thin line and his eyebrows were knit together in annoyance – a look that always appeared on his face whenever someone asked him and Zenna when they were going to have children.

'_Does he not want kids?' _thought Zenna, troubled. She loved kids and she loved taking care of kids, if her constant mothering of her little brother, El, was anything to go by.

And Eret was great with kids. He always took the time to play with Kayla and all the other young ones on Berk. They flocked to him, always asking him to tell them stories, and it never failed to make Zenna smile to see Eret joining the children in their games or regaling them with tales of his sailing adventures.

But the thought of them having kids… it seemed to scare him.

She had a hunch, but she wanted Eret to tell her.

"Hey…" Setting down her burden, Zenna touched Eret's shoulder. "What do you say we check this place out?" she suggested.

Eret's troubled expression was replaced with a smile. "I do love a good hike," he said, setting down the logs and started jogging in the direction of the woods. "Try to keep up!" he laughed.

Zenna ran after him and, with a sly smile, dashed past him. "Eat my dust, Lothbrok!" she yelled, hearing her husband laugh as she ran ahead.

* * *

Exploring "New Berk" was just what the couple needed after the chaos of the mass exodus they had joined.

Zenna and Eret took their time, taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells of the island. They found a waterfall and several freshwater springs where the people could bathe and get fresh water. And, best of all, they found a meadow filled with flowers. Lying down amongst the sweet-smelling blooms, they watched the sun set.

"You know… If we don't find the Hidden World, this could be a pretty good place to establish a new village," said Eret before his face fell. "I just hope we've put enough distance between us and Grimmel…" he mumbled.

Zenna rested her head on her husband's chest. "Well, if he comes here, we'll just have to fight him." Her one violet eye hardened. "I may have dedicated my life to healing people, but, believe me, I am more than willing to forsake my Hippocratic Oath to end that monster to protect Stryka and her family," she muttered darkly.

"Don't underestimate him, Zen." Eret wrapped an arm around her. "Hiccup did that and, well, here we are. Don't get me wrong. I admire your brother and I don't doubt that he'll find a way to get us all out of this mess. But… he has to learn that… sometimes to protect people, you have to make some hard choices. Killing an enemy's one of them…" he sighed, pressing his lips to Zenna's forehead.

Zenna looked up at him. "You're still thinking about what happened with Drago, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

Eret nodded solemnly, his eyes going vacant.

* * *

Three months before they married, Eret and Zenna had ended up on another wild adventure with Hiccup and Astrid. A storm had blown in while the four of them had been on a leisurely flight, and they ended up crash landing on an island called Dragonstone… in the land of Westeros.

They met some pretty amazing people, had seen dragons they had never seen before, and had helped end a war between the Seven Kingdoms and a monstrous race of beings called White Walkers.

What they hadn't expected was to find Drago amassing a new armada in Westeros. He still had some of his dragons and soldiers, and he had struck a bargain with Cersei Lannister: help the Lion Queen end the alliance of House Targaryen and House Stark – led by Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow – and he would have Westeros' help in eliminating the Dragon Riders of Berk.

With Berk too far away for them to fly back to and rally their own troops, Hiccup, Astrid, Zenna, and Eret knew that they had to stop Drago in Westeros. So they allied themselves with Daenerys and Jon, and joined their forces in the fight against Cersei, Drago, and the Night King's forces. The war had been fierce and bloody, unlike any battles they had ever experienced, but they triumphed.

And, in a fitting twist of fate, Drago met his end at Eret's hand, his former slave stabbing him with his own bullhook.

Eret could still remember the cold feeling of his former master's main weapon in his hand as he drove it through Drago's armor and into the madman's heart. Sometimes, he woke up in the middle of the night, plagued by the image of Drago's slackjawed expression as the life drained out of him.

At the time, he felt nothing but relief and a sense of grim satisfaction. He had finally avenged both his father and Hiccup's father's deaths, and the dark shadow that had been Drago Bludvist would never threaten the world again.

But even the death of the man who had made his life a living Helheim would never take away the horrors he had experienced. And, try as he might, Eret was still afraid of Drago… but, now, for a different reason.

* * *

"I'm still afraid of him, Zen. He may be dead, but… it's like he's still haunting me. The beatings, the deprivation, the torture, my branding… they've left me scars that I don't think will ever fade. When I think about that," Sighing heavily, Eret looked up at the darkening skies. "what if I end up like him?" he asked his wife worriedly.

'_So that's why he's so worried…' _Zenna thought, realization dawning on her. She leaned over Eret, her face hovering over his. "You're nothing like him. And Drago wasn't even your father. Your Dad was Eret Rollo Lothbrok, and he was a good man… and so are you," she said firmly.

"I know. But what if I lose my temper? What if I end up hurting our kids? What if they end up fearing me, Zen?" Eret asked her, amber brown eyes filled with fear. "And _this_," He had Zenna sit up before he removed his vest and opened his tunic to reveal his branding scar. "How will I explain this to our children? How will I tell them that their own father used to trap dragons for a madman bent on global domination?"

Drawing his knees up to his chest, Eret lowered his eyes to the ground. "What if they hate me?" he asked quietly, and he felt like the scared young boy he had been when Drago had forced him into the dragon-trapping business again.

"Hey," Zenna sidled closer to her husband, resting her head against his shoulder. "They're not going to hate you, Eret. We'll tell them the truth. About what happened to your father, of what you went through for nearly 12 years… we'll tell them everything. And I'm sure that they'll understand," she reassured him.

When Eret looked at her, Zenna smiled warmly. "You're gonna be a great dad," she told him.

"You think so?" Eret felt his heart lift a little.

"I _know _so. You're a natural with kids, and you're so sweet and fun to be around with… Our kids are probably gonna give you something more than "Number One Dad" mugs on Father's Day," Zenna said, making Eret chuckle as he put on his vest again.

Pulling his wife closer to him, Eret tenderly kissed Zenna's cheeks. "And you're going to be a great mum," he said, nuzzling Zenna.

Zenna giggled then waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "So, when do you want us to start making some babies?" she asked with a flirtatious wink.

Eret laughed and gave her a playful shove. "Priorities, love. We have to find the Hidden World, stop Grimmel, and make sure that the people and the dragons are safe…" he grinned and leaned to whisper in Zenna's ear, "Once we get all that done… what do you say to another honeymoon?"

"I would love that," Zenna purred, kissing Eret's lips.

The stars had come out by the time Eret and Zenna left the meadow. And as they walked back to camp, they imagined a little boy and a little girl, two precious angels that looked like a mix of them both.

* * *

**What do you guys think?**

**Read and review whenever you want!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	4. Chapter 4

**This next one-shot is dedicated to FoxyKhai0209, a great supporter of my stories. It includes her OC, Lani Flokidottir, who's the main character of "The Chief and the Pauper" which borrows my OCs, with my permission, of course. I invite you all to check it out. It's a good read :)**

**NOTE: I OWN NOTHING HERE, EXCEPT FOR MY OCs!**

* * *

**Grimmel Gets Loki'd**

Grimmel's lips curled up in a victorious smirk as he beheld the Chief of Berk, bound in chains. Before he had made his escape after setting the Dragon Chief's house aflame, he had managed to sedate the young man and kidnap him and had taken him to one of his warships. He hadn't gotten the Night Fury, but at least he had a bargaining chip.

The Berkians would be willing to do anything to save the boy. Even barter their own dragons for their chief's freedom.

A weak groan came from Hiccup's lips as he regained consciousness. Feeling the cold heavy weight of the chains jolted him into alertness and he struggled but to no avail.

"It's futile to resist," Grimmel told him, walking towards him. Stopping just an inch away from the bound chieftain, he placed his hands behind his back. "I've sent my demands to your mother and your general. Your Night Fury and the Dragon Doctor's… in exchange for your life," he informed him.

A minute of tense silence… then, to Grimmel's surprise, a dry laugh.

"Why do you laugh, little Hiccup?" Grimmel glared as he crouched down to see eye-to-eye with his prisoner. "Do you think your friends will rescue you?" he asked mockingly.

"Oh, I don't doubt that they'll find a way." Hiccup's voice suddenly sounded a little different, Grimmel noted. "It's just that, well…" the young chieftain looked Grimmel in the eye and grinned.

"You got the wrong chief."

Eyes widening in shock, Grimmel grabbed at "Hiccup's" shaggy brown hair, startling when the boy's hair came off to reveal blond locks.

"Loki'd!" "Hiccup" laughed just as the Dragon Riders flew in, Toothless and Stryka leading the assault. Soldiers scattered and it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Grimmel staggered back in shock. How?! He _swore _he'd grabbed the boy earlier! Same green eyes, skin tone, and he had a prosthetic leg! Who the hell was this?!

"The name's Lani." The imposter smirked at Grimmel's dumbfounded expression. "_Lani Flokidottir!_" he shouted.

As if on cue, a Sand Wraith burst out of the murky sea fog, bearing a Dragon Rider who looked identical to Lani, a raven perched on his shoulder. Then the rider pulled off his wig, revealing Hiccup's shaggy brown hair. "Now, Loki!" the chief of Berk cried and the raven on his shoulder flapped off.

Grimmel only had a second to gape as the raven flew towards him, transforming into the God of Mischief and was kicked in the face.

"Are you alright?" asked Loki as he used his magic to unlock Lani's chains.

"Dizzy, but more or less doing good," Lani replied, staggering to his feet while Hiccup landed the Sand Wraith. The Sand Wraith crooned and nuzzled Lani who smiled and hugged the dragon. "Am I glad to see you, too, Sandstorm."

Hiccup glanced at Grimmel's unconscious form then at Loki, who was looming over the dragon hunter with a knife in his hand. "Loki, don't. We got Lani back. That's all we came here for," he told his mischievous friend sternly.

"Can't I just stab him once?" Loki pleaded, his knife itching to taste Grimmel's blood.

A loud explosion brought the three men's attention back to the battle. Toothless swooped down, Astrid on his back and operating the tail fin. "Guys, they're sending reinforcements! We need to fall back!" she yelled.

"Next time, Lokes," Hiccup reassured Loki who sighed and put away his knife.

"Fine," Loki huffed, a sour look on his face, then kicked Grimmel in the stomach when the man began to stir.

Lani backed away slightly, knowing that an angry Loki was a dangerous Loki and clambered onto Sandstorm's back behind Hiccup. "Alright, bud, sound the retreat!" Hiccup shouted, prompting Toothless to roar loudly.

In response, all the dragons and the Dragon Riders retreated, leaving Grimmel's fleet a burning wreck.

* * *

"Zen, I'm fine. Seriously, focus on flying…" Lani groaned as the one-eyed Dragon Doctor looked him over for the fourth time since they escaped. Hiccup was back on Toothless while Astrid was now riding Stormfly. Loki, having left Embla back on Berk to guard the island, was riding Stryka with Zenna.

"Just making sure…" Zenna sighed and aimed a half-hearted glare at him. "I swear, Lani, I don't know whether to praise you or call you insane for switching places with Hiccup again."

"You have to admit, Zen. It worked," Hiccup said but looked guiltily at Lani. "But, still… I'm so sorry for what happened, Lani…" he apologized.

"No worries, Chief. Besides, it was _my _idea in the first place," Lani replied, smiling reassuringly.

Loki regarded the chief of Skerry Island with respect. "I have to say, Lani Flokidottir, you've proven yourself to be quite a trickster." A smile tugged at his lips. "I'll have to step up my game to keep my title," he chuckled.

"Oh no, sir. I don't think I can ever steal your title," Lani said, humbly inclining his head.

* * *

Not long after Grimmel's trap had been discovered, Lani came to Berk to visit Hiccup and the Dragon Riders. The newly-appointed chief of Skerry Island had heard of Grimmel before and knew that the man was ruthless and was willing to resort to evil means to get what he wanted. So he had taken Hiccup, Astrid, and Zenna aside and proposed to switch places with Hiccup once more, as a safety precaution. It was highly likely that Grimmel was already making his way towards Berk to kill Toothless and Stryka, and there was a high chance of Hiccup being kidnapped to be used as leverage. If he switched places with Hiccup, Lani would be kidnapped instead but, with Hiccup still leading them, the Dragon Riders would come to his aid.

Hiccup, Astrid, and Zenna had been highly against it at first. They would not, they insisted, risk the life of one friend who had nothing to do with Grimmel. But Lani was persistent. He knew that Berk's situation was a precarious one. Overpopulation by the dragons had made the island too big of a target and Hiccup's fame as the rider of one of the three Night Furies left in existence had spread. If Grimmel got his hands on Hiccup, Toothless, Stryka, and their son, also named Hiccup, would soon follow.

So, with much reluctance, Hiccup, Astrid, and Zenna agreed to Lani's plan.

And it had worked. But it still didn't make them feel any better since Lani had gotten hurt…

* * *

"Guys, I'm fine, really," Lani told the Berkians as they flew back to Berk. While he wasn't a Berkian, Lani was very loyal to the island of Dragon Riders, and not just because he was Hiccup's doppelganger. He had a lot of respect for the one-legged chief and his sister, Zenna. If they needed help, Lani was more than happy to give it.

* * *

_**After defeating Grimmel…**_

Lani was amazed as he finally got a really good look at the Light Fury. _'She's beautiful. Of course, Stryka's beautiful too. But… wow…'_ he thought, admiring the Light Fury's sparkling white color.

That's when he noticed that the Light Fury was staring at him. "Uh… hi?" he waved shyly. The Light Fury warbled and padded over to the blond that looked so much like her king's human. She circled Lani, sniffing him a few times before sitting down and letting out a few soft whines and purrs.

'_She must be telling me something…' _thought Lani and turned to Loki, who had been watching them interact with an amused look. "Can you translate?" he requested.

"She remembers you." Loki smiled at Lani's shocked expression. "She saw you and Sandstorm watching her while she was on Skerry Island," he informed Lani.

With a gasp, Lani pulled out his journal and flipped to the page where he had drawn a Light Fury. Holding it up to the white dragon, Lani's eyes widened as she nodded and pawed at the page. He giggled as the Light Fury pushed her snout against his side, purring. "Nice to see you again," Lani said, gently petting her.

The Light Fury purred in reply.

* * *

**Hope you like this, FoxyKhai0209. Till the next chapter!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	5. Chapter 5

**So far, this is my longest entry into my one-shot collection. Hope you all enjoy!**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

**You'll Always Be My Sister**

We did it.

We beat Grimmel.

But at a great price… for we had to leave.

I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eye as I gazed at Zenna, who was also struggling to hold back tears. She is my best friend, my other half, my Rider…

How could I possibly leave Zenna? While I don't doubt that she can hold her own in a fight, she was still a human, still a soft fleshy thing; without claws and scales to protect herself from the elements, she needed to be protected.

I crooned, nuzzling Zenna who let out a small sob. _"Cowme wid us?" _I asked hopefully, speaking the human tongue. It's no secret that, out of all the dragons on Berk, only I have the gift of human speech. Six years of listening to Zenna and other humans talking and talking back have widened my vocabulary and improved my diction. While garbled, most people could understand me when I talked human, Zenna most of all.

Zenna shook her head. "I can't go, girl. You heard Hiccup. The world doesn't deserve you… yet. You, Toothless, your son, all of the dragons… as long as humans like Grimmel are out there, your kind isn't safe." She gently stroked my head, tears already falling from her eye. "You deserve to be free in the Hidden World, without us humans," she told me.

Her breath hitched as she rested her head against mine. "You deserve to be _happy, _Stryka," she whispered.

"_But __**you**__ make me happy, Zen…" _I whine, nuzzling my Rider's face, tears slipping down my face. And I meant it, every word.

The moment I looked into those beautiful and mysterious violet eyes, my world and my heart have been filled with love, adventure, and _Zenna. _We became each other's protectors, two halves of the same whole, both possessing scars that have made us stronger than ever before.

The past six years have been the best of my entire life, and I want Zenna and I to have more years together.

I still want to soar higher than the clouds with Zenna on my back, the two of us joining my beloved Toothless and Hiccup on more crazy adventures.

I still want to see my son, sweet little Hiccup, grow up alongside Zen's little brother, El, and to see the two of them fly together.

I still want to have Edgar and Henna greet me with belly rubs whenever Zenna and I come back from a flight.

Most of all… I want to see Zenna continue to grow, as a daughter to her parents, as a sister to El, Hiccup, and Loki, as a wife to Eret… and maybe even as a mother.

I still want Zenna to be a part of my life, as much as she wants me to be a part of hers. How can that happen if we were apart?

"I'll always be a part of you, Stryka." Zenna's hand caressed my eye patch. "Keep your eye patch. You don't have to wear it anymore, but keep it… so you can remember me by," she murmured.

I let out a soft whimper and wrapped my forelegs around Zenna in a gentle hug. I felt Zenna shake in my grasp. She was crying, soft sobs wracking her lithe frame. I cried as well, nuzzling Zenna's dark locks and breathing in her unique scent of smoke, flowers, and vanilla.

"Meeting you, becoming your friend, and getting to fly… they're some of the best things to ever happen to me, Stryka. I'll never forget you, girl. I love you… I love you so, so much…" whispered Zenna as she embraced me.

"_I love you, too, Zenna…" _I drew back so I could look her in the eye. _"You will always be my sister,_" I warbled with all the love I had for the human who had changed my life.

Zenna let out a small laugh and smiled, in spite of the tears. "And you'll always be mine, Stryka," she said.

When the time came for us all to leave, I looked back at Zenna one last time. She stood at Hiccup's left with Eret at her side. Giving Zenna one last smile, I lifted my right front paw and flicked it back and forth. I hadn't done that little gesture in nearly six years, something I had seen Zenna do during those first visits to the cove, back when we were starting out as the most unlikely of friends.

Recognizing my gesture, Zenna laughed and waved back. "Bye-bye…" she said softly.

With that, I turned and spread my wings… and took flight with Toothless and all the other dragons, leaving our humans and heading for our new home – the Hidden World.

* * *

There's no way of keeping track of the years in the Hidden World, but I know it's been a long time. The scent of human has long faded from the eye patch I now keep in a special place in my and Toothless and Luna's nest.

It had been a surprise, especially for Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch, when Toothless and I both welcomed Luna into our nest and into our hearts. We both love Luna. She's kind, funny, feisty, and beautiful. I love seeing her fly around, her white scales glittering in the darkness. And she respects me as Toothless' first mate, which makes me love and respect her all the more. It helps that Toothless loves both of us equally, and that it's not uncommon for dragons to have more than one mate.

With Luna, Toothless sired three beautiful hatchlings, our little Nightlights – Star, Ventus, and Comet; and they grow stronger and more amazing every day.

A year after Toothless and I had settled into the Hidden World, we had two more hatchlings, two beautiful girls named Eclipse and Vesper who are older than their three half-siblings by four years. Hiccup, our eldest, adores all five of them. Whenever all three of us - Toothless, Luna, and I – had to go on patrols, he would watch over them. And when we came back, we would find him buried under a pile of sleeping baby Night Furies and baby Nightlights, blissfully fast asleep himself, no doubt tuckered out from looking after them.

In the mornings, all nine of us would fly out of the caves and emerge from the waterfall into the sunlight for fresh air. I live for these moments, where Toothless and I can feel the sun on our scales. The glowing crystals down in the Hidden World may provide light and warmth, but Toothless and I have always preferred to feel the sun's rays shining down on us.

On this particularly fine day, Toothless, Luna, and I are sunning ourselves on the rocks, Hiccup playing a little game of chase with Eclipse, Vesper, Star, Ventus, and Comet.

Suddenly, Toothless and I hear the sound of boats cutting through the waves. Squinting, I could make out two boats sailing towards us.

"_**Luna, stay with the kids," **_Toothless says, getting up taking flight.

"_**It'll be alright, loves. We won't let any humans hurt you. Just stay with Mama Luna," **_I warble to the little ones, joining my mate in the skies.

"_**I'm coming too!" **_Hiccup yelps, taking flight as well. Already 12 years of age, Toothless and I trust our son to be careful around humans.

There are two boats, and Hiccup and I land on the larger of the two, the one with a purple sail depicting a Night Fury and a gray wolf. We see six humans onboard – all of them black-haired - and one of them, a woman with an eye patch, approaches me. "Hey, girl…" she greets me softly, her hands raised in a peaceful manner.

I growl lowly, wings raised. _'Who are you, human? And why have you come here?' _I think. Looking over the woman's shoulder, I see a man, probably the woman's husband, holding three children close.

"It's okay…" he murmurs, keeping his eyes on his wife and I. The children huddle closer to him, eyes wide with fear.

"Remember me, Stryka…?" the woman whispers, a hopeful smile on her face.

I blink my one green eye in shock. How does she know my name?

The woman shuts her one eye and slowly extends an arm out until her palm is inches from my nose.

And just like that, the memories come flooding back.

A cove on an island I barely remember, two violet eyes staring into mine when I used to have two eyes, fighting the Red Death that had enslaved Toothless and I, the sight of blood on a girl's face, one of her eyes crushed and burnt beyond healing, the girl waking up and the two of us flying together.

A single name bursts from my lips as I speak the human tongue for the first time in years.

"_ZENNA!"_

Zenna laughs as I lick her face. She still looks the same, but also a little different. Granted, it has been a long time since we last saw each other. But her one violet eye hasn't changed. It's still bright and filled with life. Now, it's currently welling up with happy tears as we bask in the joy of our reunion.

"_Ywou hwere! Ywou hwere! Happy! So happy!" _I yap, my human speech not as perfect as it once was, bouncing around her and nuzzling her.

"I'm so happy to see you, too, Stryka! It's been so long! Oh, my beautiful girl…" Zenna says breathlessly, hugging me tightly.

I trill and hug back. _"My sister…" _I warble.

"My sister," Zenna whispers back, resting her head against mine, her smile as radiant as the sun.

I feel complete, as if I had gained back something I had lost, and it's because… after so long… Zenna and I are together again.

I have my sister back…

"_**Mom, look! Look!" **_Hiccup's excited voice makes me turn my head. My son is hugging a young boy with curly black hair and Zenna's violet eyes.

"_**It's El! It's El, all grown up! My buddy Viking's all grown up!" **_Hiccup roars joyfully as he playfully bats his paw at El who chuckles.

'_Oh, he's so big now!' _I think, my heart fit to burst with love. The last time I saw Zenna's little brother, he was an adorable chubby toddler. To see him, now a young man like my son, it's amazing…

"See? The dragons aren't eating your mum and your uncle," the man chuckles, and I instantly remember him. Eret, Son of Eret, once the "world's best dragon trapper," now Zenna's loving husband.

Looking at the other boat, I see Toothless happily licking a bearded human with a prosthetic left leg. _'That can only be Hiccup… Ooh, and Astrid's there with two kids! They tied the knot! Zenna must have been so happy for them during the wedding…' _I think, amused, before turning my attention back to Zenna who was now coaxing the three children to come closer.

"It's alright. Come. There's someone I want you three to meet," Zenna said gently, beckoning her kids over.

I tilt my head curiously as they stand before me, two boys and a girl. The boys take after Eret in appearance, broad-shouldered and stocky. One of them has Zenna's violet eyes while the other has pale green eyes, a color I remember being associated with Eret's father.

But the girl… she is the spitting image of my sister. I trill softly but the youngling and her brothers take a step back, apprehensive. I manage to glimpse her eyes, partially hidden by raven bangs.

Her left eye is a bright violet like Zenna's while her right eye is a soft brown like Eret's.

'_She's the perfect mix of them,' _I think as Zenna kneels beside her children.

"Hold your hands out, like this." Zenna gently extends her arm out, her children copying her until their palms are just an inch away from my nose. "Give her a little time, and she'll come to you," she says softly.

Sniffing the three children's palms, I recognize Zenna and Eret's scents. Closing my one eye, I gently press my snout into their palms. When I open my eye again, the children are staring at me in awe.

"Hi, Stryka…" the girl says softly while her brothers just gape at me, eyes wide with wonder.

I give them a toothless smile, making them giggle with delight.

Eret walks over to the little ones and smiles. "Stryka, these are our kids. These two lads are Vali and Narvi." He pats the violet-eyed boy on the head before ruffling the green-eyed boy's hair. "And this lovely lass is Gyda," he says, wrapping an arm around his daughter.

I warble happily then waggle my brow suggestively at him and Zenna. _"Ywou two got buwsssy!" _I huff, making them blush.

"Oh, you're one to talk!" Zenna shoves me playfully. "I see two other little Night Furies out there on those rocks that can only be yours and Toothless'!" she retorts, laughing when I give her a lick as payback.

* * *

A while later, all of us are standing on the rocks surrounding the waterfall. I'm introduced to Hiccup and Astrid's kids, Zephyr and Nuffink. Luna, after some coaxing from Toothless and I, allows our children to play with our Riders' young.

Seeing Vali, Narvi, and Gyda, and Zephyr and Nuffink play-wrestling with Eclipse, Vesper, Star, Ventus, and Comet… it makes me wonder if they would have been partners had we not left the humans.

"_**They're getting along well," **_Toothless remarks, watching Star, our youngest Nightlight who mostly has Luna's white scales and his green eyes, happily nuzzling Nuffink. Zephyr is hugging Ventus, the two of them content to just sit and cuddle.

"_**If we hadn't left, those children would have definitely been their Riders," **_I say in amusement, seeing Comet, the eldest of Luna and my mate's offspring, tackle Gyda, Zenna and Eret's little girl shrieking with glee.

Eclipse and Vesper prefer to play with Vali and Narvi the most. Like my Eclipse, quiet and shy, Vali doesn't say much but his smile as he pets Eclipse is one brimming with sheer gladness. Meanwhile, Narvi's exuberant personality is a perfect match to Vesper's as the two chase each other around the large rock they're standing on.

"_**Look out, little human! Here I come!" **_Vesper roars before rushing to Narvi and tackling him.

"Hahaha! That tickles!" Narvi laughs as he lies flat on his back, Vesper licking him like there's no tomorrow.

All the while, Hiccup, Astrid, Zenna, and Eret are watching, love and pride shining in their eyes. Toothless and I could tell that they'd been hoping for this, for their children to meet us and experience what it's like to befriend a dragon. And, I'll admit, while I nearly forgot, I'd yearned to see Zenna again after we went our separate ways and that she would be a mother like I am now. Thanks to fate and just a bit of luck, I got my wish.

My sister has grown to become an amazing woman and a loving mother, and I couldn't be any happier or prouder.

Suddenly a black blur flies past Toothless and I from behind and, turning around, we see Hiccup, our son, flying with El on his back.

"We're doing it, buddy! We're finally flying together!" El whoops as Hiccup flies an entire lap around the waterfall.

Luna watches them, her stepson, and smiles. _**"I have an idea," **_she pipes up and whispers her plan into our ears. And Toothless and I both think that it's a wonderful plan.

The three of us roar, the humans covering their ears at the volume, and we wait.

A few minutes later, two of our most trusted friends come up to join us.

"Stormfly!"

"Skullcrusher! C'mere, you big ugly beast!"

Astrid runs up to greet Stormfly while Eret immediately gets bowled over by Skullcrusher. Hiccup and Zenna watch, grinning from ear to ear. Then they look at each other, then at us.

"What do you say, you two?" Hiccup asks us.

"Just like old times?" adds Zenna, her one violet eye glimmering.

Toothless and I don't think twice and we let them climb onto our backs.

* * *

The wind caresses my face as I soar through the clouds with Zenna and Gyda on my back. It was like old times, my sister and I flying as one. As I dive and spin and perform all sorts of aerial stunts, I can feel Zenna's joy resonating with my own. Gyda laughs as her mother tosses her up into the air, Hiccup doing the same with Nuffink, before landing into the safety of Zenna's arms.

Our babies are not too far behind us, Ventus and Comet practicing their cloaking skills as they shoot out plasma blasts and fly into them, momentarily turning invisible. Star flies next to her father, chirping excitedly as Nuffink reaches out to her. Comet flies over to me, nuzzling Gyda.

I hear a delighted roar and see my son Hiccup do a power dive, El and Vali on his back, towards the ocean. He pulls up before he hits the water, his wings skimming the waves to Vali's delight. When he flies back up, Vali is whooping, "This is amazing!" while El laughs and praises Hiccup for his exemplary flying.

Stormfly and Skullcrusher fly past us. I see Eret grin over his shoulder at Zenna while Narvi waves to his sister. Astrid has Zephyr with her on Stormfly, and Hiccup's daughter has her hands thrown up in the air, thrilled beyond measure.

Luna flies alongside the both of us, at ease with our humans and their offspring. Looking at each other, Toothless and I smile.

We stay up in the air for what seems like ages, until Hiccup and Zenna signal us to land. When we make it back to the waterfall, the sun is already dipping low across the horizon. My heart sinks as I realize what's happening.

The children are quick to realize it, too, for they start begging for more time with us.

"Can't we stay a little while longer, _please_, Mama and Papa?" Gyda asks, Comet whining in her arms.

"It's getting late, love. Toothless and Stryka and the Light Fury need to go back to the Hidden World with their babies," Eret tells her gently.

Vali's face is thoughtful as he hugs Eclipse close to his chest. "Well… can we come back here?" he asks, Eclipse giving a soft warble.

"Yeah! Like maybe on our birthdays or-or Snoggletog!" Narvi looks at Hiccup, light green eyes pleading. "Can we come with you next time, Uncle Hiccup?" he pleads.

"Yeah, Dad. Let's bring Aunt Zen, Uncle Eret, Uncle El, Vali, Narvi, and Gyda again!" Zephyr cheers.

"We _will _come back here… right, Daddy?" Nuffink asks hopefully.

Hiccup looks at his son, his daughter, and nephews and niece apprehensively while Astrid looks on, slightly worried. Eret and Zenna glance at each other, wondering what the chief is going to say.

Finally, Hiccup looks at Toothless. "What do you think, bud? To be honest, I-I really would like to see you again," he tells my beloved.

Toothless nods. _**"Your family and Zenna's family are always welcome here, Hiccup." **_He then gently butts Hiccup with his head. _**"Just don't stay away too long this time, got it?" **_he warbles teasingly.

"Guess we're planning a second trip when we get home," Hiccup chuckles, the children cheering.

Comet, Ventus, Star, Eclipe, and Vesper take their time saying goodbye to Zephyr, Nuffink, Vali, Narvi, and Gyda. El gives my eldest son a hug, whispering to him how he would be back soon. My young Hiccup coos and nuzzles El, his bright green eyes sad.

"I'll see you soon, girl. You keep any unruly dragons in line, okay?" Astrid rests her head under Stormfly's chin, the Nadder crooning in reply.

"Till we meet again, old friend," Eret murmurs, patting Skullcrusher's horn, the Rumblehorn Toothless and I often regard as a father figure letting out a farewell snort.

Toothless and I are the last to bid the humans farewell. Hugging Zenna, I rumble, _"Gwoodbye, Zen…"_

"It's not 'goodbye,' Stryka. Think of it more like… _see you soon_," Zenna tells me, smiling gently. With one last hug, she leaves and boards the ship followed by Hiccup. They turn back to look at us… and don't turn away even as the wind catches in their ships' sails and takes them away.

Luna, Toothless, and I watch silently as the ships sail away. Our children squawk and chirp and roar, their goodbyes carried by the wind, until… the ships disappear into the horizon.

Suddenly it's as if a new hole's been opened in my heart and Toothless'. Who knows how long it would take until we see our Riders again...

Luna senses our sorrow and gently nudges us both. _**"They'll be alright. And they'll be back. They're your humans after all," **_she reassures us.

Looking out into the horizon, Toothless and I know that Luna's words are true.

Years living in the Hidden World had nearly made us forget our Hiccup and Zenna. But all it took for us to remember them was to see them, their hands raised in peaceful offering and eyes closed in trust. That was how our forbidden friendship began, and it is a friendship Toothless and I never regretted making.

Hiccup and Zenna changed our lives, and we changed theirs. Countless of times, they saved us; and countless of times, we saved them. Our bond will never be broken now that we've seen them again. And they will return to visit us, we know it.

'_See you soon, Zenna...' _I think as my family and I head back to the Hidden World.

* * *

**What do you guys think? Read and review whenever and whatever you want!**

**Next one-shot's going to be the same scene… but in a different point of view. I'll leave it to you to guess who it is ;) **

**Until the next chapter!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, here it is. The 'ten years later' scene in another perspective. Hope you all enjoy. And, well, admittedly, this is more of an expansion with more dialogue.**

**Get ready for the feels.**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD!**

* * *

**We Both Grew Up**

"El, get down from there. I don't want you to fall and get hurt."

Violet eyes that had been focusing on the wide horizon looked down and focused on the woman with one violet eye herself carrying a sleeping child in her arms.

Elias II Stoick Fiersome smiled, swinging his legs back and forth as he sat on the ship's beam. At 13-years old, he was probably one of the most adventurous youths in all of New Berk. "Relax, Zen! I'm just enjoying the feel of the wind on my face!" he hollered, waving to his big sister.

"You can feel the wind on your face just fine down here. Now get down. I don't want you to fall off," Zenna said, looking up at her not-so-little-anymore little brother, one violet eye shining with worry.

When El refused, even going as so far as to stand up to admire the view, Zenna switched tactics. "Elias II Stoick Fiersome, if you don't come down this instant…" a sly smirk formed on the elder Fiersome's lips. "…I'll eat all of the chocolates in our provisions!" she called out.

"You wouldn't!" El gasped as he scrambled to get off the beam, swinging down from one of the sail's lines. Apart from the eye color, El had inherited his sister's sweet tooth.

Zenna laughed, ruffling El's hair. "I'm messing with you, kiddo," she giggled.

El huffed, giving her a half-hearted glare as he tried to pat down his hair before it got too poofy. As a baby, his curls had added to his cuteness. Now that he was officially a teenager, his hair had more or less flattened out naturally, reaching up to his shoulders with curls at the bottom. If you asked anyone on New Berk, it made El look even cuter.

"Are we getting close?" asked El as he walked about the deck of the ship he and his sister were on, which just so happened to sport a sail of Sami-inspired design with owls, wolves, and Night Furies woven into it.

"Almost, El." Eret smiled as the youngest Fiersome approached him. "Just a couple of miles or so until we hear the waterfall," he told him before glancing to his right at two boys poring over a map, the two of them engaged in deep discussion.

"How are we looking, lads?" Eret asked, the two boys glancing up from the map. El couldn't help but chuckle at how the duo looked so much alike.

"Vali says we're still going West," one of the boys, wearing a red tunic and fur arm bracers, reported. His cheeks had little bandages plastered to them, and he had a few small healing scabs littered around his forehead.

"And Narvi says we've passed the right landmarks," the other boy, wearing a dark blue tunic and a pendant with a small piece of clear quartz around his neck, added.

Vali and Narvi – twin sons of his big sister and his Uncle Eret, aspiring cartographers and explorers. The two boys were keen adventurers and spent countless afternoons hiking through the forests and swimming the lakes of New Berk. El often accompanied Vali and Narvi on these little excursions. Much like their parents, those two loved adventuring and often got into trouble while doing so.

'_Narvi's scratches are healing much quicker than I thought. Well, that's because Zen patched him up… My head still hurts from getting whacked by her sticks, though…' _El rubbed his head, remembering how furious Zenna had been when he came home with her boys one afternoon, and Narvi had scratches on his face after he had fallen out of a (thankfully not that tall) tree he had been climbing.

El's thoughts were interrupted as his two nephews ran past him, followed by Eret. He watched Vali and Narvi listen as their father instructed them on how to handle the sail's line, before the three of them worked on pulling up the ship's sail until it billowed out and caught a strong breeze.

El noticed Zenna watching the three with a loving smile, and he grinned. He was officially the youngest uncle in the entire village, as Vali and Narvi had been born when he was around three. He had loved his nephews the moment he set his eyes on them, and always wanted to be around them. Whenever he and his parents went to his sister and his Uncle Eret's house to visit, El always volunteered to babysit Vali and Narvi whenever Eret and Zenna needed a break. That helped him form a bond with his two nephews, who regarded him not as their uncle, but as their big brother.

"Need some help there?" El strolled up to Vali and Narvi who were working on tying down one of the ropes supporting the sail to the deck while Eret went to check if the ship was still sailing true to the course.

"Nope. We got it," Narvi grunted, pulling on the rope's end to get the knot really tight… then yelped as the knot suddenly unraveled. "Or not!" he exclaimed as he threw his whole weight on the rope before it slipped from his grasp.

"I think we forgot to do one of the loops…" Vali's accented voice was worried as he tried tying an imaginary sailor's knot, his fingers not quite sure where to go.

Chuckling, El showed them how to do the knot properly before letting them have a go. Working as one, Vali and Narvi secured the line to the ship's deck.

"Thanks, El!" Violet and pale green gazed up at him, shining with gratitude. Vali and Narvi's eyes and accents were the only ways to tell the two apart. Both boys had taken after Eret, from the shape of their noses to their broad-shouldered frames. The fact that they were _identical _twins made it much harder to tell the two apart. But one need only to look at their eyes and listen when they talked.

Vali had Zenna and El's violet eyes and, oddly enough, was the only one who spoke with Eret's accent. Narvi had Zenna's accent and the light green eyes of his paternal grandfather, Eret Rollo Lothbrok. Vali was the sailor, having inherited a love of the sea from his father and his grandfather, while Narvi was the tracker, spending a lot of time out in the woods.

"No problem, guys," El said, ruffling the boys' heads. Vali and Narvi then raced to their father, pulling him along so they could see their handiwork.

'_And Uncle Eret had been so afraid of becoming a dad… He and Zen are just as awesome as Mom and Dad are when it comes to parenting,' _El thought with admiration, seeing Eret giving Vali and Narvi hugs and praising them for a job well done. He noticed how Eret's eyes lingered over Narvi for an extra second.

El understood why. Narvi was probably going to look almost exactly like Eret's father when he grew older. Eret had wept tears of joy when Narvi's eyes changed from the default birth blue to a light pale green. To him, it felt like his Da had returned to him in some way and he could see him in the eyes of Narvi.

But that didn't mean Narvi was Eret's favorite child. No, that title went to…

"Hey there, sleepyhead…"

"Hi, Mama."

El transferred his attention to his sister, who was cuddling the sleepy-eyed little girl in her arms, little Gyda Lagertha Fiersome-Lothbrok or Gyla as her brothers affectionately called her. "Had a good nap, sweetheart?" Zenna asked Gyla, who giggled when she tickled her tummy.

"Mhm. Are we there yet?" Gyla yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Soon, sweetie, soon," Zenna murmured, kissing Gyla on the cheek.

When Gyla opened them fully, El saw how unique his young niece's eyes were. The left eye was a light violet, like Zenna's. The right eye was an amber brown, like Eret's. The rest of her was all Zenna. And El knew that, without a doubt, his niece was going to be quite a beauty when she grew up just like her mother.

'_I just hope she gains a little more self-confidence and stops seeing her eyes as something to be ashamed of…' _El thought with a twinge of sadness upon seeing how Gyla swept her bangs over one of her eyes. She was often teased because of her eyes, the other kids seeing them as unnatural and freakish. It was actually a rare condition that didn't even affect Gyla's sight. Zenna had made sure of that, having consulted with Loki who had some background in 21st century medicine and the God of Mischief had diagnosed Gyla to have _Heterochromia iridum _but she had no problems with her eyes.

The only problem was that she was teased because of her condition, which usually resulted in Vali and Narvi protectively surrounding their little sister and threatening the bullies with decapitation. Eret sometimes joined, and just the sight of Chief Hiccup's right-hand man was enough to send the bullies running.

Now, El held out his arms to Zenna who rolled her eye and passed Gyla over to him. "Morning, Uncle El!" Gyla giggled, wrapping her tiny arms around El's neck.

"It's afternoon now, little dragon. You slept through most of the voyage," El chuckled, putting Gyla down.

"Papa!" Gyla made a beeline for her father, laughing when Eret let out an 'oomph!' as she collided with his leg.

Suddenly Vali and Narvi started calling them over, pointing at another ship sailing just a few lengths away from them.

"Ah, looks like the Chief and Chieftess have finally caught up to us," Eret chuckled, Gyla climbing all over him, as Hiccup and Astrid waved to them from their own boat.

"Took you guys long enough!" Zenna hollered.

"You guys have a faster ship!" Hiccup shouted back in defense, his youngest, Nuffink, secure in his arms.

Gyla waved to the youngest Haddock. "Hey, Nuffink!"

Nuffink Haddock, eyes as green as his father's and hair as blond as his mother's, blushed. "H-hi Gyla! Hey Gyla! H-how are you t-today?" he stuttered.

"I'm doing great! You excited?" Gyla called out, bouncing on her toes.

"T-to see the dragons? Y-yeah!" Nuffink replied, giggling.

"Those two…" El shook his head in amusement. Given that they were both five-years old and spent nearly every day together, there was potential for Gyla and Nuffink to become more than just friends.

"Come on, bro. You know how Eret feels about potential suitors for her," Zenna chided her younger brother.

"I'm just saying that there's a possibility," El sing-songed, catching Vali and Narvi's attention.

"Gyla and 'Fink?" Vali raised an eyebrow.

Narvi merely shrugged. "Eh, that's okay. 'Fink's a great guy. He and Gyla get along," he said before fixing his gaze on another passenger on the Haddock family's ship.

Following Narvi's gaze, El caught sight of Zephyr, the eldest Haddock child. Her arctic blue eyes were fixated on Narvi's, and neither of them blinked.

'_Another staring contest,' _El thought and Vali, as if he could read his thoughts, snorted and pulled out a small sheet of paper where he recorded the duo's wins.

When Zephyr had been born, naturally, Eret and Zenna went to congratulate Hiccup and Astrid. They took their then one-year old twins with them to see the newest addition to the Haddock family. Narvi had peered into Zephyr's crib and the baby girl had locked eyes with him.

It was quite amusing for Hiccup, Astrid, Zenna, and Eret to see the two, one a newborn and the other just celebrating his first year of life, having a staring contest. The contest ended with Narvi winning as Zephyr had sneezed and shut her eyes for a second. Ever since then, she and Narvi would engage in stare-offs in a bid to see who could last longer without blinking.

Today, it seemed, was Zephyr's day as Narvi blinked, three minutes into their little game, when a small gust of wind loosened his dark hair out of his ponytail and blew it into his face. "I win!" Zephyr cheered, throwing her arms up in triumph.

"I'm still ahead by two wins!" Narvi reminded her, consulting Vali's score sheet while he tied his hair back.

Zephyr put her hands on her hips and gave the nine-year old a confident smile. "I'll catch up to you, Narvi Fiersome-Lothbrok. Just you wait!" she declared.

"Well I look forward to the day we tie, Zephyr Haddock!" Narvi retorted with a confident smirk of his own.

"Lovebirds!" Vali teased them, Gyla and Nuffink giggling when Zephyr and Narvi quickly looked away from each other.

"Alright, you kids stop teasing each other," Astrid Hofferson-Haddock said, her bright blue eyes glimmering in amusement.

"It's all in good fun, Chieftess-General. It's not like we haven't had our fair share of ribbing each other," Eret remarked, chucking as he used the little title he and Zenna had come up for Hiccup's wife who just so happened to be the general of the Berkian fighting force.

Hiccup and Zenna looked at each other from across the waves and shook their heads in mock-exasperation.

El was fairly sure that the two of them were thinking, _'Never a dull moment with our families!'_

* * *

An hour passed until the two ships were anchored close to a waterfall at the edge of the world. El felt his heartbeat quicken as he and Zenna went to the front of the ship.

"Do you think they'll be there?" El whispered, violet eyes squinting through the fog.

"I hope so…" Zenna clutched her silver pendant to her chest, something she always did whenever she was nervous.

El's throat suddenly felt dry as he asked, "Do you… Do you think they remember us?"

It took a minute for his sister to answer. "… I hope so…"

Suddenly, out of the fog, two massive black shapes flew over to the ship and landed on the ship's bow. El's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the one-eyed Night Fury that could only be his sister's best dragon friend, Stryka. Then he looked closely at the other Night Fury and felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

Hiccup, Toothless and Stryka's son, named after Berk's great chieftain… and El's buddy Night Fury.

'_He's all grown up… By Loki, he looks just like Toothless…' _thought El as he and Zenna approached. Hiccup's acid green eyes were narrowed into dangerous slits and a low growl rumbled in his throat. The last time El had seen him, he had been only a baby like he had been, just beginning to get the hang of flying. Had the dragons not been sent away to the Hidden World, Hiccup would have become El's dragon… and they would have grown up and trained together to become heroes just like Zenna and Uncle Hiccup…

"Hey there… buddy Night Fury?" El slowly held his hand out before looking away, hopeful but, at the same time, afraid.

'_Please remember me, bud… Please, gods, tell me he hasn't forgotten me…' _he thought, his heart hammering in his chest.

Seconds passed, then El felt Hiccup tackle him to the deck's floor. Opening his eyes, El laughed as Hiccup's now wide and happy green orbs gazed into his. "Hey, buddy!" he felt tears welling up in his eyes as the Night Fury cooed and licked him all over, slobbering over his clothes.

"Buddy Night Fury!" El cheered, hugging his dragon. Hiccup playfully batted his paw at El's face and wagged his tail. His buddy Viking was all grown up like him!

"Looks like we both grew up, huh, bud?" El asked him, earning another lick. Hiccup warbled and nodded, wrapping his front legs around El and drawing him in closer into a hug.

Letting the tears fall, El rested his head against Hiccup's warm chest. "I missed you…" he whispered. He felt a large drop of water splash onto his hair and he knew that his dragon was crying too. And neither of them cared if everyone saw them crying. They were together again, and that's all that mattered…

* * *

'_This is surreal…' _

That was all El could think as he and Vali soared through the clouds on Hiccup's back. He had been lucky to have ridden on dragons before the separation. He had ridden with his sister, his parents, his Uncles Hiccup and Eret, and his Aunt Astrid on their dragons. When he and Toothless and Stryka's son bonded, he had looked forward to being able to soar with him when they grew older. Thanks to Grimmel, they never got the chance to grow up together.

But now here they were, flying as one… just like Zenna and Stryka, and Hiccup and Toothless were.

"This is amazing!" Vali whooped as Hiccup dove down and pulled up before they hit the water.

"You're amazing, buddy!" El cheered, patting his buddy Night Fury's side. Hiccup let out a warble and playfully bounced his two passengers.

Looking at either side of him, El could see his big sister and his Uncle Hiccup on Stryka and Toothless' backs. And the two looked happy and content, having been reunited with their best friends and back up in the skies with them after a decade.

'_Now I know what it feels like to be a Dragon Rider like them…' _El thought, spreading his arms out to the sides, relishing in the feel of the wind in his hair and on his face as his best friend flew on. He knew that, soon, he and Hiccup would have to go their separate ways again. It was still too dangerous for the dragons to return to the world of men.

But, for now, Elias II Stoick Fiersome finally felt like a true Dragon Rider.

* * *

**For those of you who are confused about the ages of the children here…**

**Elias II Stoick Fiersome (Zenna's younger brother, named after Elias Fiersome and Stoick the Vast) – 13 [After some convincing from a concerned reader, I decided to go back to my original take on the name of Zen's baby brother]**

**Vali and Narvi Fiersome-Lothbrok (Zenna and Eret's twin boys) – 9**

**Gyda Lagertha Fiersome-Lothbrok (Zenna and Eret's youngest and only daughter) – 5**

**Zephyr Haddock (Hiccup and Astrid's daughter) – 8**

**Nuffink Haddock (Hiccup and Astrid's son) – 5**

**I honestly felt like crying when I saw Hiccup and Astrid married and having a family. Their kids are adorable and are the perfect mix of them :') So I felt like Zenna and Eret deserved to have some cute little ones of their own.**

**Three of them, actually! You can imagine the jokes the other riders shared ;)**

**And, I admit, there are inconsistencies regarding the appearances and pairings of Vali and Narvi in this one-shot with my previous one-shots in my separate Zeret-centric collection "The Little Things They Don't Know About Us." I wrote the one-shots in the latter collection back when I hadn't watched the third film. Now that I have… I'm thinking of considering as non-canon in my AU.**

**Anyways, this is the last one-shot for my HTTYD3 collection for now. I'll be busy with college, applying for internships, and writing the next chapter for my other story "How to Train Your Dragon with The God of Mischief" this week. **

**Keep on soaring high, dragon riders!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	7. Chapter 7

**A review from RelentlessCrusader:**

_I really wished that you would write the scene of Zenna and Eret, along with Hiccup and Astrid, discovering the Hidden World of Dragons, because that is definitely an essential scene needed. I would love to see their reactions with Stryka and Toothless being crowned the new King and Queen of the Hidden World._

_Probably something along the lines of something like this during the roaring scene…_

_Astrid: Now that's a King. (referring to Toothless)_

_Hiccup: __**nods in agreement**_

_Eret: Now that's a Queen!_

_Zenna: So does that make Luna (the Light Fury) a princess?_

_I do like your interactions between Zenna and Eret, it really fits and I like the personalities you have given them._

**This is for you, RelentlessCrusader ;)**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD!**

* * *

**Hail to the King and Queen**

Astrid and Eret watched Hiccup and Zenna leave. Their significant others were stressed, clutching their heads in frustration. It was bad enough that they'd left Ruffnut behind with Grimmel and the warlords. Now they just realized that they couldn't even go and rescue the feisty Thorston unless they had Toothless and Stryka with them. But both Night Furies and their son, little Hiccup, were gone. Off with the Light Fury at Odin knows where.

"He thinks he has to lead alone," Valka said, walking over to stand beside Astrid. "Well, because his father had to." Her eyes gazed at Hiccup who was restlessly pacing about.

Turning to Astrid, she said, "He doesn't realize the strength you have together. Do you still believe in him?"

"Of course. I wish he did, but he thinks he's nothing without Toothless," Astrid answered, her blue eyes worried.

"Then help him realize the truth," Valka told her, smiling encouragingly.

As for Eret, he went over to Zenna to try and reassure her. But his wife just shook her head and said, "Don't. I can't… I don't think anything will… Arrrgghhh! I can't think straight!" before walking away from him, feeling more stressed out.

Edgar and Henna went over to their son-in-law, worried.

"It's just what Astrid said about Hiccup. She thinks she's nothing without Stryka…" Eret sighed, wishing that there was something he could do.

"She's forgotten." Henna smiled, wistful. "She and Hiccup, they've dedicated six years to the dragons. We can't blame them for feeling this way. Toothless and Stryka gave them a purpose and it's helped them change the world. Well… our world, at least," she told him.

"Aye, and now they have to learn that there's more to them than just their dragons. That they can still find another purpose beyond all of that." Edgar rested his hand on Eret's shoulder. "You've given my daughter a new purpose in life, Eret. I think you should remind her of that," he advised the ex-trapper.

Eret looked at his in-laws and a new light filled his eyes. With a nod, he turned around and made a beeline for Astrid. "Go get Stormfly. I'll get Skullcrusher," he told her.

Catching onto Eret's plan, Astrid grinned.

* * *

"Holy Shields… what do we do? Ruffnut a prisoner… Wh-what if Grimmel's torturing her? Then again, maybe _Ruffnut's _torturing him. But still! And Toothless, Stryka, and little Hiccup gone… what if something's happened to them?" Zenna muttered as she and Hiccup struggled to think of a plan.

The beating of wings brought the two out of their troubled thoughts. Looking up, they saw Stormfly and Skullcrusher land, Astrid and Eret already suited up.

"Get on!" the two of them said.

"What?" Hiccup blinked, confused.

"We're going to find them," Astrid said, offering a hand.

Zenna looked at Eret. "With two Tracker Class dragons, finding three Night Furies and a Light Fury will be a cinch," her husband reassured her, a confident smile on his face as he extended his hand to her.

Looking at each other, Hiccup and Zenna nodded and climbed aboard. They soared over the villagers, Hiccup telling them to stay put and reassuring them that they'll be back with Ruffnut, then headed West.

* * *

About two hours into their search, Skullcrusher and Stormfly picked up the pace, snorting and squawking to each other.

"They've got a scent, Chief," Eret reported, looking around but seeing nothing but open ocean for miles around.

"At least we know the tail worked. Toothless couldn't have flown this far with his regular tail fin…" Zenna mumbled, sitting behind her husband. She sighed and pressed herself against Eret's back.

"…I'm sorry."

Eret blinked. "For what, Zen?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

Zenna shut her eye and focused on the feeling of Eret's dragon-scale armor on her cheek. "I've just been so focused on making sure Stryka gets another chance at being with her kind, to be happy, that… well, I forgot to think about what would…" she managed to say before Eret politely cut her off.

"I'm already happy." Eret smiled, even though Zenna couldn't see it. "I have you, a family and friends who care about me, an amazing dragon," he patted Skullcrusher, the Rumblehorn cooing happily. "and a life filled with adventure. I've got everything I could ever want." He looked over his shoulder again, this time making eye contact with Zenna. "And if finding Stryka and making sure she's alright will make you happy, then it'll also make me happy, Zen," he said softly.

As her husband's words sunk in, Zenna couldn't help but feel the rush of love overwhelming her as she hugged Eret from behind. "Thank you, Eret," she whispered.

That's when they heard the roaring water.

A few minutes later, Stormfly and Skullcrusher were flying over what looked like a massive drain had opened up in the middle of the ocean, sucking all the water cascading down the rocks into the mists below.

"A waterfall at the edge of the world…" Hiccup murmured, remembering his dad's stories.

"And you said sailors tell tall tales," Eret said, looking at Astrid with a smug grin.

"How…? Just… _how_?" Zenna's eye was as wide as a plate as she beheld the majestic yet mind-boggling sight before them.

Then Skullcrusher and Stormfly started flying downwards, taking them into the cavern's mouth.

"Stormfly!"

"Skullcrusher!"

Ignoring their Riders' fearful shouts, the two dragons plunged themselves into the abyss. The salty spray dampened Hiccup, Astrid, Zenna, and Eret's faces as they went followed the water down the falls. Then, as soon as they reached the bottom, everything went pitch black… before suddenly being illuminated again by a soft blue glow that seemed to emanate from the water and the rocks all around them.

It took a minute for the four humans to see that they were now flying through a tunnel. And, slowly, the tunnel widened until they arrived at the caverns.

Gorgeous caverns that got bigger and bigger as Stormfly and Skullcrusher flew on. Stalactites encrusted with crystals glowing all sorts of colors grew from the ceilings. Rock formations covered in crystals and glowing algae were all around them, some even including dragons' nests.

And dragons. There were dragons _everywhere_.

"The Hidden World…" Zenna breathed out, awestruck.

"Wow…" Eret felt as if he needed an extra pair of eyes as he looked around.

It was incredible, really. The network of caverns had all of these crystals that provided both heat and light, and there was a steady supply of fish coming in from the ocean above.

Eret and Zenna glanced over at Hiccup and Astrid on Stormfly, the couple just as entranced as they were at the sprawling paradise that was the home of all dragons.

"Look!" Hiccup pointed at a bright spot where all the dragons seemed to be flocking to. Stormfly and Skullcrusher landed, flying up to scout on ahead, while their Riders explored.

Walking a few steps from where the dragons had deposited them, Hiccup, Astrid, Zenna, and Eret saw what all the dragons were flocking to. A large white crystal that glowed softly like a beacon.

And up on an outcropping just above the crystal, were Toothless, Stryka, little Hiccup, and the Light Fury.

"Toothless!" Hiccup softly cried out while Zenna called out, "Stryka, you're okay!"

The two of them made a move to get out into the open so their dragons could see them, but Astrid and Eret held them back.

"Not a good idea, you two," Eret cautioned, his tracker instincts telling him to avoid drawing any attention to themselves in such a heavily-populated area like this.

"You'll spook them," Astrid reminded Hiccup and Zenna, who quickly shut up and backed off.

They watched Toothless, Stryka, and little Hiccup take flight with the Light Fury, all four of them gracefully twirling through the air. It was a courtship dance, what Toothless and Stryka were doing with the Light Fury while little Hiccup happily tumbled through the air, playing with the other young dragons who had joined them. As they flew about, dragons gathered down below and roared blessings and welcomes to them.

One of the dragons caught Eret's eye, and the former trapper nearly forgot about hiding.

"Is that Drago's Bewilderbeast?"

Hiccup, Astrid, and Zenna looked in the direction Eret was gawking at. True enough, Drago's Bewilderbeast was there with all the other dragons giving praise to the four Furies currently flying about.

"Holy Shields, the last time we saw that big fella was during our time in Westeros," Zenna gasped, remembering how the mighty behemoth had vanished into the depths of the Narrow Sea after Eret had killed Drago, its master.

Hiccup's face was thoughtful. "I guess he finally found peace here. With Drago gone, I guess he decided to go back to the wild and, eventually, found his way here where he can finally be safe," he remarked.

Looking at the Bewilderbeast, what Drago had used to enslave Toothless and Stryka into killing Stoick, the weapon his former master had used to frighten him for nearly 12 years of his life, now living peacefully amongst all the other dragons, Eret felt the last vestiges of his anger melt away. He had hated Drago and his Bewilderbeast ever since the two had taken his father away. Now, he felt a sense of complete and total peace wash over him. He could forgive the Bewilderbeast now, because it had been as abused as he had been; and he could see that getting another chance at life finally gave the old creature some form of peace and a chance to finally rest.

Seeing her husband look at the Bewilderbeast, Zenna reached out and took Eret's hand in his. He squeezed her hand then looked at her and smiled, showing her that he was okay. Smiling back, Zenna focused her attention back on the four Furies in the air.

Toothless, Stryka, little Hiccup, and the Light Fury landed on the crystal where all the dragons could see them. Little Hiccup barked and settled on the Light Fury's head, the white dragon purring as Toothless and Stryka nuzzled them both.

Stepping forward, Toothless and Stryka looked at all the dragons assembled around them, welcoming them as their Alphas. Then they stretched their wings out wide, the tips touching, and roared. The entire cavern was filled with roaring as the dragons officially welcomed their new Alphas to their new home.

"Now that's a King," Astrid said, looking at Toothless, and Hiccup couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Eret chuckled, seeing how regal Stryka looked. "Long live the Queen," he said as the Light Fury stepped forward and stood at Toothless' left side.

"My dragon likes girls as well." Zenna laughed as she saw how happily Stryka cooed to the Light Fury who ducked her head behind her wing as if embarrassed. "Learn something new every day," she said, watching little Hiccup hop off the Light Fury's head. The little Night Fury let out a tiny roar of his own, and a cacophony of roars resounded to welcome the prince of dragons.

Toothless and Stryka then trotted around in a circle with the Light Fury, nuzzling each other affectionately in the end. Then, to the awe of the four Vikings present, all of the dragons bowed.

It was then and there that Hiccup and Zenna knew what was happening.

The Hidden World now had a king and queen, and a prince and princess as well.

And it looks like… the time to say goodbye to their best dragon friends had finally come.

* * *

**This was a stroke of inspiration after reading your review, RelentlessCrusader. Thanks so much for the suggestion, and I hope you liked this.**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	8. Chapter 8

**This was requested by spyro86. This is my first time writing something from an antagonistic character's perspective so, yeah, this will be fun.**

**NOTE: I OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

**Venom in Our Veins**

Our life used to be carefree, despite most dragons hating on us. But we couldn't help our nature. Fish is too light for us. Chickens are too small. We like meat, but sheep and yak do not have the nutrients we need to produce our venom.

Only the flesh of dragons will suffice.

And there's nothing we love more than the thrill of the hunt. Sometimes, we cannot help ourselves and go overboard. Whenever we kill too many dragons, we would give them a third sting to make them poisonous for other dragons.

It's mean, but we don't care. The world is a cruel place. It makes no difference if we're cruel. The world's made us this way.

Humans are especially cruel, killing scores of our kind. We _do _like the name they've given to our species, though.

Deathgrippers.

We are the hardcore hunters of the dragon world – relentless, merciless, fearless. One sting from our telescoping tails will paralyze you. A second sting will kill you. A third sting will make your body toxic to everyone. Our tusks can shoot out from our lower jaws to impale our prey when it dodges our stinger. And, just in case, we have our pincers to keep our prey in our grip as we bathe them in our flammable acid.

But for all of our terrifying features, even we have a hard time dealing with humans.

Once, we flew freely in the skies and rained down terror on all. Now, we are at the mercy of the white-haired human.

Of all the humans we have encountered, the white-haired human is the craftiest. He has caged us, threatened us, and used us to hunt other dragons. He feeds us in return and it would have been a good deal if only the white-haired human hadn't figured out how to use our own venom against us.

Our senses have dulled as our venom is continuously injected into our veins. No longer are we free to fly and hunt as we please. Rather we serve our master, the white-haired human, eating only when he tells us to eat, coming when he whistles for us, going after his targets.

He asks us to kneel before him as if he is our alpha. Our souls rebel but our bodies continue to betray us, and we kneel.

To the white-haired human, our master.

To Grimmel the Grisly.

* * *

**I have to admit that this isn't the best I've come up with so far for this collection and is really short, but I did my best.**

**Next chapter, I might do something for Serpent and Serpentine – the Hideous Zippleback belonging to Zenna's parents, Edgar and Henna.**

**As for fans of "How to Train Your Dragon with the God of Mischief," the next chapter will be arriving soon. The reason why my update schedule for that story is pretty sporadic is because I always send in my chapters to WolfWitchHuntress1318 for editing, and both of us are busy with other things so I hope you guys understand. **

**Thanks for being so patient. Until next chapter!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow, I haven't updated this collection in a while. It's refreshing to come back to this. I wasn't really fine with the last one-shot I wrote in here but this new chapter is something I've been wanting to write for a while.**

**This takes place after the beautiful Hiccstrid wedding in the third film. Hope you enjoy!**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD!**

* * *

**Wedding Gifts**

"I have to admit, sweetheart," Henna smiled as she checked her reflection in the mirror hanging on a wall inside the living room of Zenna and Eret's house. "I didn't think we'd be surprising Hiccup and Astrid, what with your father's reaction to the news and all," she remarked to her daughter, who laughed.

Edgar rolled his eyes as he adjusted his cloak. "I was excited, love. You can't blame me for celebrating," he grumbled.

"It's a good thing the Chief and the Chieftess didn't hear you," Eret said as he wrapped up an ornate Roman shield his wife had found on her travels. "It would have spoiled the surprise."

"Are you almost done with the cards, El?" Zenna asked, wrapping a wooden carved reindeer Eret had made in green cloth.

Two-year-old Elias II Stoick Fiersome hummed as he finished coloring his cards. "Done!" he said, folding the two special cards his big sister and Uncle Eret had asked him to make for the newlyweds, Hiccup and Astrid.

Zenna inspected the cards and grinned. "Oh, wow, these are so cute! You're quite an artist, El," she complimented her baby brother, who giggled and clapped his hands. She placed the two cards in an envelope and pocketed it. "Well, it looks like we're ready. Let's greet the newlyweds and give them their gifts," she announced.

The Fiersome-Lothbrok family left the house – Zenna carrying the wooden reindeer and Eret carrying the Roman shield - and was greeted by a fresh winter breeze. It was the morning after Hiccup and Astrid's wedding. And, as it was custom, the morning gift was to be presented today and there needed to be witnesses. Being one of Hiccup and Astrid's closest friends, Eret and Zenna, as well as Zenna's family, were chosen to be witnesses.

El laughed as he stomped through the snow, delighting in the crunching sound his boots made as he tramped through the frozen ground.

"I'm so glad Hiccup and Astrid have finally tied the knot. The whole village had been waiting for that to happen for nearly two years," Henna sighed, admiring how the sunlight made the icicles hanging on the roofs of houses shimmer.

"I've been waiting for a Hiccstrid wedding for eight years and I am so glad it finally happened!" Zenna said, passing the reindeer over to her mother before picking up El and carrying him as they neared the village square where the wedding had taken place the day before.

"Hiccstrid?" Eret raised an eyebrow at his in-laws.

"Snotlout coined the word not long after the two were betrothed," Edgar explained, stopping along with his family when they stood before Stoick's statue in the middle of the plaza.

"Hi, Gwampa Stoick!" El greeted the statue, waving to it while his parents, big sister, and Uncle Eret bowed their heads in deference.

Moving on, the group reached the Great Hall and entered. Inside, Hiccup and Astrid sat in identical wooden thrones. The couple was near-oblivious to the pile of gifts placed at their feet, only having eyes for each other.

Astrid leaned closer to Hiccup, whispering into his ear, and giggled when her husband's cheeks turned red. Then her own cheeks turned red when Hiccup looked at her and smirked, his bright green eyes darkening.

"Ugh, they're making goo-goo eyes again," Snotlout gagged as he plunked down a sword his father had reserved for the couple.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut wolf-whistled while Fishlegs sighed, nursing a cup of water. How the heck Snotlout and the Twins were able to function after getting flat-out drunk the night before during the wedding feast, he had no idea.

"They're basking in the afterglow of their wedding night," Gobber chuckled, lightly nudging Valka who sat beside him inside the Great Hall. "Hehe, with the way they're lookin' at each other, they'll be having a little Hofferson-Haddock in no time!"

Valka merely smiled, looking at her son and daughter-in-law with pride. Then she saw the Fiersome-Lothbroks and greeted them. "Ah, here we are. Now our witnesses are complete," she said.

The morning gift was a short ceremony, with Hiccup kissing Astrid deeply much to the delight of all the women present who squealed. After that, the gifts were opened.

"You're really giving this to us, Zen?" Hiccup asked his sister not by blood but by bond, running his hand over the Roman shield and its elaborate bronze decorations.

"A Chief needs a good shield. And if you're not gonna use it, it'll make a great conversation piece," said Zenna, taking out the envelope containing the cards.

Astrid inspected the wooden carved reindeer. "How long did it take for you to make this? The detail's incredible," she commented.

"Two weeks, give or take." Eret shrugged, grinning when he saw the envelope his wife was holding. "We've got one more gift for you two," he added.

Zenna curtsied and handed Hiccup and Astrid the envelope.

Taking out the cards, the newlyweds looked at the drawings of them in their wedding attire, lovingly made by El, before noticing the words written in the cards.

_Congratulations, Uncle Hiccup! – From your future niece/nephew_

_Congratulations, Auntie Astrid! – From your future niece/nephew_

"No… Way…" Hiccup breathed out, his gaze traveling from the card to Zenna's face. As the news sunk in, he grinned.

"Oh, my gods!" Astrid put a hand to her cheek, blue eyes shining. "Zen, you're pregnant?!" she exclaimed, the rest of the gang staring at Zenna who smiled as Eret chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Yep. I've been pregnant for nearly three weeks," said Zenna, resting one hand on her still flat stomach.

Hiccup embraced her and Eret, laughing. "Ohhh, this is great! Congratulations, you two!" the young chief said before stooping down to El's eye level. "You know what that means, El?" he asked the little boy.

"No?" El tilted his head, confused.

"You're going to be an uncle," Astrid informed him, grinning.

"The youngest uncle in the world I reckon," Valka remarked, going over to Edgar and Henna, clasping their hands. "You two must be so excited to become grandparents," she said.

"Oh, most definitely," Henna replied, playfully nudging her husband. "Zenna and Eret told us about a week ago. Frankly, I'm surprised Edgar managed to keep it a secret for so long."

"He would have shouted the news in the plaza," Gobber joked.

"And I would have, too, if my daughter hadn't insisted on keeping the news under wraps until after Hiccup and Astrid's wedding," Edgar said, smiling sheepishly.

The rest of the former dragon riders congratulated Zenna and Eret, offering to babysit their child when it was born.

"Jorgensons are the best babysitters!" Snotlout flexed his muscles. "And, with the right price, I'll even teach your kid how to be a true Viking," he offered.

"Nuh-uh! Tuff and I are the best choices for babysitting. We're gonna teach their child everything we know," Ruffnut butted in.

"Loki'ing, knot-tying, spear-throwing, trickery… Oh, yes, we will teach the little Fiersome-Lothbrok everything," Tuffnut purred, rubbing his hands gleefully.

Eret looked at Fishlegs. "Out of you lot, you're my number two choice for a babysitter," he told the chubby walking Book of Dragons.

"Thank you," Fishlegs replied, smiling wistfully at the thought of taking care of another baby. Oh, how he missed Meatlug and baby Fishmeat.

Zenna turned to Hiccup and Astrid. "I know kids aren't exactly in your plans right now, but Eret and I want you two to be a big part of our kid's life. So, you guys ready to become an aunt and an uncle?" she asked.

"We would love nothing more," Astrid said, hugging her, a huge smile on her face.

Hiccup hugged his surrogate sister again, before gently patting her stomach. "Hey, buddy. It's your Uncle Hiccup speaking. Your Auntie Astrid and I are excited to meet you. See you soon!" he greeted the unborn babe.

For everybody present in the Great Hall at that moment, today had been a day of hope – both with Hiccup and Astrid's wedding and the news of Zenna's pregnancy. A new chapter in Berk's history had begun and a new generation of Berkians was ready to begin.

* * *

Later that day, Eret and Zenna stood on the cliff where they bid farewell to their dragons. The wind was blowing westward.

Sighing, Zenna rested her head on Eret's shoulder. "I wish Stryka was here… She would have been thrilled by the news," she murmured.

"Yeah, and Skullcrusher would undoubtedly take it upon himself to guard you. That great ugly beast took guard duty seriously," Eret chuckled, remembering how protective his Rumblehorn was.

Zenna perked up. "Maybe we can tell them," she suggested before straightening up. Cupping her hands to her mouth, she shouted, "Hello, Stryka! I've got great news, girl! I'm pregnant! Eret and I are gonna have a baby!"

The wind blew to the West, and Zenna imagined that it was carrying her words all the way to the Hidden World.

"I'm going to be a father, Skullcrusher! You're going to have a little human niece or nephew!" Eret hollered, following his wife's lead.

Laughing, the couple embraced. Then Eret's face turned thoughtful. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?" he asked Zenna.

"I'm sure we will." Zenna looked up at him, her one violet eye shining. "I don't know when or how, but I know in my heart that we will," she said, resting her hand on her stomach. Eret smiled, kissed her forehead, and rested his hand on top of hers.

As the wind continued to blow towards the West, Zenna thought about Stryka, down in the Hidden World with Toothless, the Light Fury, and little Hiccup. She wondered how her best dragon friend was doing, and if she and Toothless had had more babies in the time they were apart.

Smiling, Zenna looked out to the horizon. "I hope we get to introduce our kids to the dragons someday," she said.

"Well, we did find our way to the Hidden World once." Eret's amber-brown eyes focused on the horizon. "We just need to find our way back there again," he told her.

"Yeah… we can." Zenna grinned and turned around, looking at her husband with an expectant smile. "Come on. Let's go find Hiccup and Astrid," she said, Eret smiling back and following her back to the village to discuss their plan with the Chief and Chieftess.

* * *

**So, yeah, this is how I envision a pregnancy announcement for Zenna and Eret.**

**Read and review whenever and whatever you want!**

**-GuardianDragon98**


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